Throughout this blog are some photos I took yesterday of some of the beautiful cats available for adoption at the Petco in Ormond Beach. Please go and visit them and even take one home to be part of your family! Kitten season is here and MANY local cats and kittens are in desperate need of forever homes.

Flower is a playful calico mix, 8 months old, and available for adoption at the Petco in Ormond Beach. She is vetted, fixed, up to date on shots, and her adoption fee is $50.

It’s raining kittens, which sounds like a delightful and cute thing, however the reality of the situation is quite tragic. The Humane Society of the United States, describes kitten season as starting in Spring, peaking in late Spring or early Summer, and ending in fall (so quite long!). During this time unfixed cats breed prolifically and many litters of unwanted kittens are born who end up at our already full and overburdened local animal rescue groups and shelters. Fosters and adopters are needed and if you wish to learn more, on Saturday the 16th April, Southeast Volusia Humane Society are holding a fun, kitten season event called “The Little Paws Party” where you can find out more on how to get involved.

This is Kailey who is a 6 month old Calico. Sweet and playful, she is available for adoption at the Petco in Ormond Beach. She has very unique markings on her face.

Volunteers, staff, and kitten fosters are bracing themselves for the shower of cats. There is a solution, cat owners need to get their cats fixed, but for some reason, many don’t, and for that reason, many healthy and perfectly adoptable animals die at our local shelters at a cost to the tax per I might add. See the end of this blog for some resources of where to get pets fixed.

VERY energetic and playful kitten waiting to go home and be spoiled with lots of toys!

These little guys were victim of their own cuteness with everyone wanting one without possibly thinking through the full implications of caring for a 4 week old kitten that needs to be bottle fed every 2 hours, including through the night.

My first contact with kitten season this year, working with rescue group Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare (CCFAW), was 3 Siamese kittens (see one of them right), at just four weeks old, being given away free online. Several people online said “I’ll take one!”. Probably with the best intentions but at this age, these kittens really needed their mom. Sadly we were not able to make that happen despite best efforts. What those good citizens may not have realized is that these kittens are only around 3-4 inches long and need to be bottle fed every 2 hours. They needed to be tested for panleukopenia (distemper in cats), were riddled with fleas and anemic. In addition to that these kittens were too young not only to be separated from their mom, but from one another. The need each other for warmth, company, heartbeats, and separating them can cause massive stress. The good thing is they tested negative for the panleukopenia and they are with a very expert foster who will ensure they get all their shots, be fixed, socialized, and adopted out into loving forever homes.

This kitten is one of the lucky ones who is up for adoption. Sadly this kitten season some may not make it to the adoption floor out of our local shelters which is why the need for fosters is so great. Fostering saves lives.

If you find kittens, the best thing to do is to get in touch with a local vet, shelter, or rescue group to try and find out the age of the kittens and get a health check on them. Depending on their age and condition, the care they need can vary greatly which is why I am not even going to provide any specific advice on that. Here is a comprehensive list of local animal organizations you may be able to volunteer for or seek assistance from with kitten advice.

This is Mo. Mo has a HUGE personality. If you want a cat who will follow you around, jump up on your shoulders, and who kind of acts like a dog, this is him! The entertainment is endless. Go and meet him at the Petco in Ormond Beach!

What I can tell you if you do find young kittens though, is to keep them warm and try not to over handle them and get advice ASAP. Fostering and bottle feeding very young kittens is a lot of work but very rewarding if you can follow it through.

Biscuit is a female Maine Coon mix. She’s young, playful and will make a wonderful pet for a lucky family.